Enrollment
3,266
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Silver Spring, MD
Montgomery Blair High
Federal NCES profile for Montgomery Blair High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240048000877
👥 S:T ratio 32
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Montgomery Blair High earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland.
- #1 of 6
- high schools in Silver Spring · Resource Index
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 43.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Montgomery Blair High has class sizes larger than 81% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Montgomery Blair High ranks #1 of 6 high schools in Silver Spring, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048000877 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
192.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.6%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Montgomery Blair High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Montgomery Blair High
Montgomery Blair High is a large high school in Silver Spring, Maryland, enrolling 3,266 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 43.6% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maryland, bigger than 99% of state schools at 3,266 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 21 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (38%) and African American (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 233 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Silver Spring's high schools, it stands alongside Wheaton High (2,794 students): Montgomery Blair High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17:1 vs 17.8:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) and Wheaton High (2,794 students) alongside Montgomery Blair High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Montgomery Blair High compares
Montgomery Blair High on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17:1 | ▲ 17% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.6% | ▼ 11% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 3,266 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
3,266
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 81% in Maryland - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$18,101
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors14.0 FTE
Per 233 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 38.3%
African American 24.9%
White 21.8%
Asian 10.3%
Two or More 4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 38.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.1, Montgomery Blair High is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County Public Schools, which includes Montgomery Blair High.
$18,101
Per student
-11%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.0%
State 23.7%
Federal 10.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Montgomery Blair High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Johnson High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheaton High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bethesda-Chevy Chase High | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Montgomery Blair High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,016
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 2,794
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,441
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,409
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,377
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar high schools in Silver Spring
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Wheaton High
Standard public school
2,794 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
James Hubert Blake High
Standard public school
1,960 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
John F. Kennedy High
Standard public school
1,880 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Springbrook High
Standard public school
1,838 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Northwood High
Standard public school
1,654 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~3,266 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Montgomery Blair High's federal record.
- Compare Montgomery Blair High against another school. Compare schools
- Montgomery County Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Montgomery Blair High
How many students attend Montgomery Blair High?
Montgomery Blair High has 3,266 students enrolled. It is a high school in Silver Spring, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Montgomery Blair High?
The student-teacher ratio at Montgomery Blair High is 17:1, which is 17% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Montgomery Blair High?
43.6% of students at Montgomery Blair High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Montgomery Blair High?
The largest demographic group at Montgomery Blair High is Hispanic or Latino at 38.3% of enrollment, in Silver Spring, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Montgomery Blair High?
Montgomery Blair High has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Montgomery Blair High rank among high schools in Silver Spring?
By Resource Investment Index, Montgomery Blair High ranks #1 of 6 high schools in Silver Spring, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Silver Spring on the city page.
Is Montgomery Blair High a good school?
Montgomery Blair High earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Montgomery County Public Schools?
Besides Montgomery Blair High, Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Walter Johnson High (3,016 students), Wheaton High (2,794 students), and Gaithersburg High (2,441 students). See the Montgomery County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.